Allas Sea Pool
I hosted a swimming enthusiast from London last week. And what a week it was! We started our tour together at Allas Sea Pool. This unique complex is situated in the heart of the city by the Helsinki Market Square. Allas offers opportunities for swimming, sauna, eating, exercise and culture. Swimmers welcome floating swimming pools and round-the-year swimming with warm water and open ice pools. Allas is part of a larger trend that occurs in many European cities, that’s the revival of outdoor swimming.
Allas was still under construction. Restaurant was already open and weekly yoga sessions rolling. The pools will be opened in August, so we couldn’t yet jump into freshwater and seawater pools.
Löyly
If Allas was still under construction, was recently opened Löyly in full action. Restaurant and its many terraces were crowded. Saunas in Löyly were (and are) so popular, that we had to book a visit beforehand. Saunas, a traditional smoke sauna and a wood-burning sauna, were both very good. The overwhelming noise of restaurant was left behind, when we entered sauna. We managed a slippery floor from saunas to sea and dived in. I learned that “Baltic” means really cold and surely seawater was Baltic, only 10 °C. There are no islands to give any shelter from wind and big ferries going by turn water upside down in front Löyly. So I guess water will always be refreshing chilly there.
Allas and Löyly are both great new attractions for a swimmer in Helsinki. You can add good food, yoga and other exercises, cultural events and magnificent views to your swim and sauna experience. WOW!